Will ‘Marriage Equality’ End My Friends Getting Bashed On The Streets Of New Zealand?

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Sigh. So, have had 3 friends bashed in the last 6 months. Has kinda thrown me for a loop. I have been doing the blog for 2 years now and when I started was the real start of the suicide of gays and violence against us in America. So, for awhile I covered the violence stories, but then they just got so prelavant I needed a break. And then in December last year my friends started getting bashed on the streets. And then another. And then last Monday a friend was kicked by 4 men in my home town hamilton whilst they screamed ‘Die, Faggot, Die’. Wow, where does that kind of hate and violence come from?

It’s learnt behaviour. It comes from the parents and environment and what is seen and heard and how ‘types’ are portrayed. Need a song break…….

When I was growing up there was little hatred for gays on TV or in the papers in NZ. Sure, they were underground but there was no anti-campaign against us. Now, turn on a TV or read stories about this ‘marriage equality’ issue and the hate, vitriol and false information being spread is enormous.

Research in America has shown this kind of hate speech being allowed in mass media has an effect on gay youth. Gods, it gets so tiresome for everyone. But 92% of gay youth say they hear negative opinions on themselves EVERDAY.

It is strange to grow up in a world when most of the messages around you are not directed at you. A world not geared for the way you see the world. It frustrates me that it is even worse to grow up in the 21st century in these conditions. you would not be allowed to go on TV and say Women or Maori are lesser people and do not deserve the same rights, but for some reason religious people are allowed to do this on Tv and in print and on the internet…..

It is not just that we are meant to be living in a secular society here in NZ, we are meant to be a civilized society. That this is even a debate annoys me. marriage is a disgusting joke and if anyone needs one, good luck. But will a law change ‘change’ our society? Will violence stop? I feel self respect and esteem comes within, and no-one has ever been able to give me my worth based on their views. but I understand how hard it is for many seeing and hearing negative views and campaigns.

It is up to us as individuals. We must raise our children well. We must stand up and speak. We must create the world the way we want it to be. We must own our country and keep religion out of our love. We……….oh, Gods, I don’t know. I need a drink and a smoke. We must leave bad relationships. We must tell people they are wrong. We must stop people just talking rubbish and vile hate. We cannot be bystanders in the world anymore. This is our world. WE MUST PARTICIPATE IN LIFE AND IN HOW THE WORLD IS.

I often finish stories with the final scenes from ’6 Feet Under’. Because such is life.